9D/1990-2000 Vice President for Finance and Administration (William Reed)

Click here to see the box list for this collection.

Restrictions: An effort has been made to keep as much material open as possible, hence the separation of portions of folders rather than restricting the whole folder. The following types of materials are restricted:

• 1. Student records generated and maintained by the college cover by FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act): grades, work, faculty/class evaluations, questionnaires, recommendations, et cetera. Information will be released only if permission is granted by the office, which created the documents.
• 2. Minutes and other records of the Board of Trustees. Access to this material is granted only through the Trustees. Requests for access should be directed to the Clerk of the Board of Trustees. Members of the Wellesley College Senior Staff may have access when the information is necessary for their work.
• 3. Information relating to specific salaries, pensions or financial transactions between the College and individual employees. Access to this material must be granted by the President’s Office.
• 4. Materials relating to reappointment, promotion and tenure are restricted. Access must be granted by the President’s Office.
• 5. Recommendations and performance evaluation of individual employees are restricted, as are evaluations of candidates for College positions. Access must be granted by the President’s Office.
• 6. Materials published by consortia of colleges and universities, specifically the Consortium on Financing Higher Education (COFHE) and the Higher Education Data Sharing (HEDS), which conduct surveys of various institutes promising confidentially. Members of Senior Staff may have access when the information is necessary for their work.

• Wendell H. Kayser, 1923-1928
• Charles Hodges, 1928-1938
• Donald W. Height, 1938-1952
• Irwin French, 1952-1956
• Robert Schneider, 1956-1970
• Joseph Kiebala, Vice President for Business Affairs, 1970-1976
• John Hartley, Vice President for Financial and Business Affairs, 1976-1985
• Burton Sonenstein, Vice President for Finance and Administration, 1985-1989
• William Reed, Vice President for Finance and Administration, 1990-2000

Joseph (Joe) Kiebala became Vice President for Business Affairs in May 1970. At that time the Business Office oversaw the following departments: Wellesley College Club, Systems, Controller's Office, Physical Plant, Purchasing, Duplication, Personnel, Food Service and Post Office. He reported to the President of the College. The Treasurer's Office was in Boston and reported directly to the Board of Trustees. In the fall of 1975 the Security Office, which had previously come under the Physical Plant became the Campus Police. April 1, 1976, Mr. Kiebala left Wellesley College to become Assistant Director of the Wood's Hole Oceanographic Institute.

Harry Jones, Controller, filled the Vice President function until John (Jack) Hartley arrived September 15, 1976, as Vice President for Financial and Business Affairs. The Business Office continued to supervise the same offices, although some names were changed. Systems became Data-Processing and Purchasing and Duplication came together under the Distribution Center. When the Boston-based Treasurer's Office was closed, an investment firm took over some of its duties and others were absorbed into the Business Office. Barry Monahan became Business Manager and took over many of the day to day functions of the Business Office as well as relations with the Town of Wellesley. This gave Hartley more time for the financial side of the office. Mr. Hartley retired in May 1985.

Burton (Burt) Sonenstein became Vice President for Finance and Administration following Hartley's retirement, but attended meetings and familiarized himself with issues of the office prior to Hartley's departure. During Mr. Sonenstein’s term additional departments came under his supervision, including Financial Aid, Director of Conferences and Campus Facilities Planner and the number of senior administrators grew. Barry Monahan became Assistant Vice President for Administration in 1986 and Margaret (Peggy) Plympton was hired as Assistant Vice President for Finance in 1988. Sonenstein left Wellesley in August 1989 to become President and Chief Executive Officer of Washington D.C. based United Educators, an insurance company for universities, colleges and schools. Ms. Plympton served as Acting Vice President of Finance and Administration until William Reed arrived in January 1990.

William (Will) Reed became involved in Wellesley College concerns starting the September before he arrived in January 1990. The Office of Finance and Administration did not change radically under his tenure, however his senior staff took over more and more of the routine tasks of the office. Reed became increasingly involved in policy making, both at the college and in higher education in general. Plympton resigned to take a position at Yale University in July 1994. Rene Stewart Poku became Assistant Vice President for Finance and Associate Treasurer in 1994, dropped the Associate Treasurer role in 1996 and became Associate Vice President for Finance and Administration from 1998 to 1999. Reed left the post of Vice President for Finance and Administration in 2000 and became Vice President of Wellesley College.

The date range of these records of the Finance and Administration Office is January 1990 through July 2000 when Mr. Reed became Vice President of Wellesley College.

The records came to the Wellesley College Archives in various accessions from the originating office and storage areas. The office of Vice President for Finance and Administration has a major role in all aspects of Wellesley College.

The collection includes budget materials and financial records; records for support and maintenance of the Physical Plant, as well as those for major building and renovation projects; records of salaries and benefits for faculty and administrative staff; student financial records, records relating to the College’s involvement in organizations studying and supporting higher education and Trustee materials relating to the financial needs of the College.

Generally, the collection is arranged in alphabetical order by subject. Where there is more than one folder on the same subject, they will be arranged chronologically. Restricted materials have been removed from the main sequence, as have materials, which require flat storage. The cartons of restricted materials follow the main collection and the oversized materials are housed separately. Notice of removal is given in each instance with an explanation of location and method of access.

There are materials of particular interest during the Reed years. Wellesley College took a serious look at the College functioned, appointing a variety of task forces to report on different aspects of the College. The Report on Wellesley in the 90s was the result. The Internal Revenue Service anti-trust case against Massachusetts Institute of Technology and other colleges relating to financial aid for prospective students was resolved. The Boston Consortium grew out of a study sponsored by the Mellon Foundation. There is material relating to Cistron litigation and patent defense. Changes in the physical plant focused on cogeneration studies and continuation of the Jewett Arts Project, including the construction of the Davis Museum.

Click here to see the box list for this collection.

Accession Numbers: A93-064, A96-040, A96-055, A01-068 and the Reed merged files

Produced February 3, 2005, by Mary Bicknell